Play Ball! Opening Day Records for Every Baseball Team

It's Opening Day 2012

Spring’s rite of passage is back. It’s Opening Day 2012 (sort of). Most of MLB‘s 30 teams start their seasons today and tomorrow.

But already, the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A’s have played two games in Tokyo (Seattle won the opener, they split 1-1) and last night the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the newly-named Miami Marlins in Florida.

Here are all of baseball’s franchises’ home-opener records through 2011, first by division, and then overall.

Who says there’s no tying in baseball? Over as many as 136 opening days for a team, there have been several ties, especially in the early days, but the Cincinnati Reds tied the Milwaukee Brewers as recently as the Reds’ 2000 home opener.  These games did not factor into the playoff races, so were left as is, tied.

The Toronto Blue Jays have the best home opener record in the game.

Thanks to baseball-almanac.com, my source, which also has opening day box scores and more.

These records are for each franchise and include team roll-ups (for example, the L.A. Dodgers’ record includes the Brooklyn Dodgers and so on).

Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.

Home Opener Records by Division

AL EAST	G	W	L	T	PCT
Toronto Blue Jays	35	26	9	0	.743
New York Yankees	111	74	36	1	.673
Boston Red Sox	111	66	45	0	.595
Baltimore Orioles	111	64	46	1	.582
Tampa Bay Rays	14	7	7	0	.500
AL CENTRAL
Minnesota Twins	111	62	49	0	.559
Detroit Tigers	111	60	50	1	.545
Chicago White Sox	111	60	51	0	.541
Cleveland Indians	111	58	53	0	.523
Kansas City Royals	43	21	22	0	.488
AL WEST
Seattle Mariners	35	21	14	0	.600
Oakland A’s	111	53	58	0	.477
Texas Rangers	51	23	28	0	.451
Los Angeles Angels	51	22	29	0	.431
NL EAST		W	L		PCT
New York Mets	50	30	20	0	.600
Atlanta Braves	136	75	60	1	.556
Washington Nationals	43	23	20	0	.535
Philadelphia Phillies	129	62	65	2	.488
Miami Marlins	19	9	10	0	.474
NL CENTRAL
Chicago Cubs	136	77	57	2	.575
Pittsburgh Pirates	130	74	56	0	.569
St. Louis Cardinals	130	71	59	0	.546
Milwaukee Brewers	43	23	20	0	.535
Cincinnati Reds	130	62	67	1	.481
Houston Astros	50	23	27	0	.460
NL WEST
San Francisco Giants	129	75	52	2	.591
Colorado Rockies	19	11	8	0	.579
Arizona Diamondbacks	14	8	6	0	.571
Los Angeles Dodgers	128	63	61	4	.508
San Diego Padres	42	21	21	0	.500

Home Opener Records Overall

	TEAM	G	W	L	T	PCT
1.	Toronto Blue Jays	35	26	9	0	.743
2.	New York Yankees	111	74	36	1	.673
3.	Seattle Mariners	35	21	14	0	.600
3.	New York Mets	50	30	20	0	.600
5.	Boston Red Sox	111	66	45	0	.595
6.	San Francisco Giants	129	75	52	2	.591
7.	Baltimore Orioles	111	64	46	1	.582
8.	Colorado Rockies	19	11	8	0	.579
9.	Chicago Cubs	136	77	57	2	.575
10.	Arizona Diamondbacks	14	8	6	0	.571
11.	Pittsburgh Pirates	130	74	56	0	.569
12.	Minnesota Twins	111	62	49	0	.559
13.	Atlanta Braves	136	75	60	1	.556
14.	St. Louis Cardinals	130	71	59	0	.546
15.	Detroit Tigers	111	60	50	1	.545
16.	Chicago White Sox	111	60	51	0	.541
17.	Washington Nationals	43	23	20	0	.535
17.	Milwaukee Brewers	43	23	20	0	.535
19.	Cleveland Indians	111	58	53	0	.523
20.	Los Angeles Dodgers	128	63	61	4	.508
21.	Tampa Bay Rays	14	7	7	0	.500
21.	San Diego Padres	42	21	21	0	.500
23.	Kansas City Royals	43	21	22	0	.488
23.	Philadelphia Phillies	129	62	65	2	.488
25.	Cincinnati Reds	130	62	67	1	.481
26.	Oakland A’s	111	53	58	0	.477
27.	Miami Marlins	19	9	10	0	.474
28.	Houston Astros	50	23	27	0	.460
29.	Texas Rangers	51	23	28	0	.451
30.	Los Angeles Angels	51	22	29	0	.431

Photo: lansingstatejournal.com